


screaming deceiving and bleeding for you

by YellowMagicalGirl



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Branding, Demonic Possession, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Dungeons & Dragons Game Mechanics, Dungeons & Dragons Mechanics used for the fight scene, Dungeons & Dragons References, Dungeons & Dragons Spell Mechanics, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Possession, Technically the Maplekeene is only there if you squint but I'm doing a lot of squinting, The branding isn't really prominent but other forms of whump are, Title from an Evanescence (Band) Song, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YellowMagicalGirl/pseuds/YellowMagicalGirl
Summary: "Ah! Hello, Fitzroy." Gray's Constitution saving throw passes against Fitzroy's Spell Save DC for Thunderwave.
Relationships: Argo Keene/Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, Gray the Demon Prince & Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt
Kudos: 32
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	screaming deceiving and bleeding for you

“Ah! Hello, Fitzroy.” Gray puts up a hand, anticipating to block Fitzroy’s Thunderwave. His Constitution saving throw passes against Fitzroy’s Spell Save DC.

“Stop fucking cheating!” Fitzroy yells at the demon prince. And then, at The Firbolg, “See if Althea or Hieronymous is still around!”

Fitzroy is barely aware of The Firbolg running away towards where they last seen Heironymous.

“One of your friends is running, and the other is mine,” Gray drawls. “Those aren’t good odds for you.”

Gray teleports right next to Fitzroy. A greatsword forms in his hands. Lazily, he swings it at Fitzroy; the hit is a dirty twenty. Fitzroy gasps as he takes 20 points of damage, most of it slashing, but the acid damage still burns against his skin. Can he even really _take_ damage like this? Or is this just some horrible dream for him but no damage can be dealt to his physical form? Fitzroy hopes that it’s merely the latter, but he also knows better than to hope too much.

Fitzroy is tempted to enter a rage. He isn’t prepared to face Gray in a fair fight - though, could this even be considered fair? Fitzroy _needs_ the edge he would get from entering a rage, but he doesn’t know how to control the effect his magic has on his rage. Who knows how much further damage he could cause Argo if his rage manifests in a way that does damage to his surroundings?

Fitzroy swings his mace, hoping that he’ll break Gray’s skull. It whistles by the demon prince’s ear, having missed the target AC.

AC 23 is nearly one-and-a-half times Fitzroy’s own armor class. He takes 13 points of damage, mostly slashing.

Gray begins to start whispering a discordant melody. “If you can’t face me, how will you win our war?”

Fitzroy takes 4 points of psychic damage.

At the corners of his vision where he can still see the real world, Shape Water is cast into the shape of a fist that strikes Argo’s body.

“Oh, really?” Gray says at his normal volume. “You think you can fight back? I _own_ you now.”

Fitzroy smiles and coughs up blood. “Thanks, pal.”

His mace reverberates off of Gray’s horns and it forces the demon prince to take a step back. Gray looks shocked, shocked enough that Fitzroy is able to block the next blow. Fitzroy then casts Shocking Grasp on Gray before taking a five foot step backwards. Fitzroy gulps as he realizes that he forgot to Disengage.

Before Gray can swing his greatsword once more, Fitzroy feels a wave of Argo’s pain. The image of the hell dimension falls around them.

* * *

The first thing Argo notices as he wakes up is that his chest _hurts._ To be more specific, it hurts the most right under his right collarbone but the pain is radiating outward. He feels like he might have burned himself, but why on his upper chest?

Slowly, Argo forces himself to open his eyes. He’s lying in the school’s hospital wing. Fitzroy’s slouching in a chair next to him, and Argo can’t quite tell if he’s in a half-trance or not. Either way, he sits up straight when he sees Argo awake, a smile forming on his face.

“You know, when I said we had to stop meeting like this, I didn’t mean switching our positions,” Fitzroy jokes, but his voice his so hoarse. “Firby stepped out to go get us dinner; he’ll be sad he missed you waking up.”

“That was real, wasn’t it?” Argo asks. “Gray possessing me, and all that.”

“Yes. Unfortunately. How do you feel?”

“Still a little weird, and my chest hurts, but thank you.”

“Yeah, we have matching brands now. Apparently Heironymous thought that was the best way to get Gray out of you. But really, I should be thanking you for saving my hide; I was down to 1 HP and if you hadn’t cast Shape Water when you had, I might’ve been a maple syrup pancake!”

“Yeah, I think that was more instinct than anything planned?” Argo smiles. “I didn’t want you to get hurt, Sir Pancake.” Fitzroy goes red, likely with embarrassment.

“Oh, no, it’s still Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, Knight (in Absentia) of the realm of Goodcastle to you!” Still, there is no venom in his voice.

“Sorry for ruining the spelunking trip, by the way.”

“Eh, I get the feeling that with how much we’ve talked about assassination in front of you, Gray might know anyways so going into the Godscar Chasm probably would’ve gotten us nowhere.”

“I’m sorry about that. And for being such a jerk to you, Firby, and everyone else.”

“No, no, you have nothing to be sorry for. If anything… I sensed Gray in your room, for just a moment before that spell ended. I should’ve known, but, what’s done is done. But, I won’t let him touch you ever again, not if I can help it. Oh yeah, and sorry for cussing in your brain.”

“Oh, trust me, I cuss a lot more in my brain than you do.”

**Author's Note:**

> I based Gray's stats on Graz'zt, which is why Fitzroy is doing so terribly. 5th level characters should not try to 1v1 CR 24 demons with magical greatswords and the ability to cast dissonant whispers.


End file.
